Sean Bouchard, a junior first baseman, was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 266th overall spot in the ninth round of the MLB Draft on Tuesday.
Bouchard graduated from Cathedral Catholic High School undrafted, but he slowly progressed over the course of three seasons at UCLA to this season earn his first All-Pac-12 accolade.
He split 26 starts between second base, third base, and designated hitter in 37 games as a freshman, hitting.239 with nine runs and nine RBI.
He settled in at first base as a sophomore, hitting .295 with 23 runs and 36 RBI. He finished second on the squad this season with a.306 average and set team records for runs (39) and RBI (43).
As the team prepared for the postseason earlier this month, UCLA head coach John Savage hailed the San Diego native who started every game for the Bruins this year as an intriguing draft potential.
Many of his players, according to Savage, are capable of making the transition to the pros after three years, but the choice to depart early depends on time and draft position. The worth of Bouchard’s selection is $143,400.
We’d love to have them back, but the 6-foot-3, 215-pounder is “equipped intellectually and physically” for the next level, according to Savage. On MLB.com’s Draft 200, he was ranked as the 170th best prospect.
The Chicago Cubs selected right-handed pitcher Jeremiah Estrada with the 195th overall pick in the sixth round on Tuesday, making him the third UCLA signee taken in the last two days.
According to MLB.com, the Palm Desert High graduate was the 93rd best prospect overall. Pitcher/shortstop Hunter Greene and pitcher/catcher Hagen Danner, who were also UCLA signees, were second and 61st overall, respectively.
The Angels selected junior pitcher Griffin Canning in the second round (47th overall) on Monday.
How Old Is Sean Bouchard?
Sean Bouchard is 26 years old. He was born on May 16, 1996.